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"Paddle and Pamper" is headed to Costa Rica March 2007!
"Paddle and "Pamper" is a unique kayaking course, developed specifically for women, by Wet Planet instructor and Jackson Kayak Team Member, Heather Herbeck. This program focuses on developing kayaking skills in ways that women benefit the most. During these "P & P" clinics, we work on the technique and finesse to paddle successfully down the river, and not depend on "brute" strength. We get out frequently to "scout" and analyze whitewater, so that you learn how to read rapids and you don't have to be the one "following everyone else's line". Sometimes women think too much about how kayaking is "scary", so the Wet Planet staff will provide the "fun" component as we paddle down the river. This will remind you that kayaking is all about having "fun". These are just a few of the unique ways that the "P & P" clinics help women to develop into safe and confident boaters. Here's the best part about the March clinic . . . it's in Costa Rica! Read on . . .
Continue reading ""Paddle and Pamper" is headed to Costa Rica March 2007!"
— Wet Planet Staff @ 02:00 PM
Wet Planet Whitewater Winter Program Overview
It's getting colder and colder each day, as it was 29 degrees in BZ this morning, with frost stiffening all my gear which hung on the line from the day before. However, with Winter setting in, this means that water will be here soon as well. Whether it's your goal to perfect your paddling skills to kayak our local rivers throughout the winter, or if your goal is to work on your paddling technique and roll, in a warm pool so you can "hit" those rivers this coming spring. . . whatever your goals are, Wet Planet is here to help you out. For the first time ever, Wet Planet is offering Winter Pool Clinics and Specialty Clinics. Click for more details. . .
Continue reading "Wet Planet Whitewater Winter Program Overview"
— Wet Planet Staff @ 10:13 AM
Kids Kayaking Day 2
See the prior post for Day 1 We spent the entire day on a small section of the Hood River. We spent the morning working on strokes, edging, eddy turns and bracing. After practicing "skills", we played games and then had lunch.      
After lunch, we actually did a little river running section of the Hood River. The kids were really excited to go "down" a river. We played "follow the leader" down the 1 mile section of the river, stopping in eddies and practicing ferries. The "largest" rapid on this section, we practiced catching eddies all the way up to the rapid and using "paddle signals" to communicate as we made our way down through the rapid. It was a great day on the river. By the end of the day, the kids were very tired, but still excited about the next two days.  
Questions for the day: "What was your most favorite part of Day 2?" "The rapids, because it was refreshing and the games we played were fun." "Today was so much fun. We learned so much and had a million laughs. But, one of the BEST parts of today was the game "piano keys". It is the best game ever. So much fun!" "I loved "piano keys". "My favorite thing today was going on rapids and flipping over. Also, when we played "piano key". "Why do you love Wet Planet?" "I love Wet Planet because it's pretty organized. They also have a load of activities and are always on time." "I love Wet Planet because the people are responsible, friendly and safe." "I love Wet Planet! The people are so nice, the instructors are great and the scenery is so pretty. Wet Planet isn't uptight, it's laid back and everyone wants to stay and hang out." "Wet Planet is awesome because it has the best people." (Remember these are 10-12 year olds and didn't share their thoughts during this activity . . . wow!) 
Stay tuned for Day 3 . . . Heather Herbeck
— Wet Planet Staff @ 12:44 PM
Wet Planet's Kids Kayaking Course Day 1
Wow! What an amazing 4 days with the kids. On August 6th, Wet Planet held their second annual kids' kayaking course for ages 10-12. We had three returning kids from last year - Manon, Camille and Hope - and one newbie, Rion. Rion was in a touch spot, being that he was the only new kid AND that he was the only boy. However, with Rion's sweet personality and passion for learning, he fit right in with the entire group. This blog contains bits and pieces from the instructors and the kids themselves. I am including a lot of photos as well. . . enjoy! DAY 1 We started with introductions and then proceeded with talking about the gear. One fun things we did with the gear was a "gear relay" - We put the gear into piles around the grass we were sitting in and in teams of two, the kids started at pile #1 (the spray skirts) and raced to each pile, putting their gear on (it had to be perfect - like the pfd's had to be tight) and then once all the gear was on and checked by the instructor, they tagged their teammates and their teammate cycled through the piles. We had lots of giggles during this game and was definately an "ice breaker" for all the kids. We spent the rest of the morning in the pool playing with our boats. A couple of fun activities that we did in the pool where: 1. The kids tried climbing into their boats without tipping them. Once they mastered this, we then had them sit in their boats, stand up and sit back down. Both these games were great for the "fun" factor and for learning balance. 
2. We practiced holding our breath on land and then holding our breath underwater - so the kids could see that they can actually stay underwater for a reasonable amount of time IF they are relaxed. 3. From here, we went into the wet exits without spray skirts - concentrating on perfect form - a couple of the kids were nervous at first, but once they tried it, they wanted to wet exit over and over. 4. This advanced into the normal "wet exit" and then into a quick introduction of the roll (only because one of the kids asked if we could teach them the roll). . .SWEET! 
After lunch, we headed to Rowland Lake to play more games. The first day was pretty much "game-day". We played relays to practice forward strokes and sweets and also "Sharks and Minnows", using a pyranha sponge for the "weapon" of choice. Each day, before wrapping up the class, the kids were aksed to write down their thoughts on a couple of questions. Every day, we asked them "What was your favorite thing you did today?" and then came up with one more question which was different each day. On day 1, the other question was, "Why do you want to learn how to kayak?" (Remember these are all 10-12 year olds). "What was your favorite thing you did on Day 1? The Wet Exit The gear "relay" Going to the Lake for game-playing "Why do you want to learn how to kayak?" "May dad recommended the class, and I thought awh, what the heck!" "Because it's a super cool thing to do!" "Because it sounded really fun. I always loved to go on boats and swim. I also wanted to come back because being on whitewater in the middle of nature is just great. I also met a great friend and kayaking is all about friendship." This wraps up Day 1 of Wet Planet's Kids kayaking course. Stay tuned for Day 2 . . . Heather Herbeck Team Wet Planet Team Jackson Kayak
— Wet Planet Staff @ 11:58 AM
September Session of "Paddle and Pamper"
The September session of "P & P" was a "play" specific clinic, so we invited pro-kayaker, Christie Glissmeyer, to co-teach and share with us some of her playboating 'secrets'. We also had the opportunity to demo Jackson kayaks, borrowed to us from the Kayak Shed in Hood River, OR. We had lots of great boats, but most of the women wanted to take advantage of the 'play' and demoed the "Star" series of Jackson kayaks. In this write-up, I have included many of Christie's suggestions for improving your playboating moves. Read on to find out how: The day started off, as all other P & P's do, with introductions. There were 5 girls - some of the coolest gals I know on the water. Some of the women were returning from prior courses, so it was great to see them again. After introductions, we talked about "outfitting" your playboat. Christie gave specific tips on how to outfit your boat to increase your control. Here are some of Christie's suggestions: 1. Make sure your backband is snug, supportive. This puts you in an aggressive forward position. 2. Raise your seat (Christie places a 1-inch foam layer on her seat): This elevates your body, to clear your elbows from hitting the cockpit and helps with leverage. 3. Snug hip pads: Have your hip pads supportive, but not so tight that they make your legs numb. 4. Seat Position: Have your seat as forward as possible. This helps with bow initiation. 5. Foot Blocks: Christie uses one foam block for her heels to push off of. This is especially helpful when you are on your bow. When your toes are free to wiggle around, it helps to keep your feet from falling asleep. 6. Triangle knee blocks: Christie cuts a rectangular foam block into triangles and wedges them under each knee. This helps to keep your knees up in the knee braces, which will help with ease of rolling and edge control. 7. Float bags are also an important piece of equipment to have in your boat, because you never know . . . After the gals made their appropriate adjustments, we headed off to the river. Being that it was early in the day, the put-in was quiet, so we did our yoga/stretch for the day. Some important muscles to stretch to prevent injury: 1. Hamstrings - if your hamstrings are really tight, they pull down on your lower back, causing lower back pain. So, it is very important (especially because we sit in our kayaks all day) to stretch the back of your upper legs (hamstrings). Here's how: Sit on the floor, with one leg pulled in and the other leg extrended. Lean forward from the hips (not the shoulders), back straight and chest lifted up. It does not matter how low you get to your leg, the key here is to feel a slight pull in your hamstrings and hold that position for about 30 seconds. 2. Chest - We kayak all day, which tightens the front of our body (chest) and strethens the back of our body (lats). So, to counteract this, we need to stretch and strengthen our chest. To stretch our chest, open your hands wide, place your hands behind your ears and push your elbows back. Continue pushing your elbows back for about 15 seconds. Rest and repeat. Adding push-ups to your workout routine will also strengthen your chest as well as the other muscles that you don't necessarily use while kayaking. Doing push-ups will create 'muscle balance' in your upper body. 3. Torso - Side bends are a great way to stretch your torso (obliques). Both stretching and strengthening can improve your overall fitness and kayaking ability, plus it will help keep you injury-free . . . if you would like more help with developing an exercise program to balance out your paddling, please email me at hherbeck@yahoo.com After the yoga-stretch, we continued to warm-up with playboating specific drills.
Warm-up Proper forward strokes - 10 slow, 10 medium, 10 fast - 2X's 1. Torso rotation - you should be able to see your PFD move. 2. Vertical paddle shaft - the more horizontal your paddle shaft, the more spin momentum you create for your boat. 3. Plant paddle blade in at toes and out at hip. 4. Body position forward. Proper back strokes - 10 slow, 10 medium, 10 fast - 2X's 1. Torso rotation. 2. Body position forward. 3. Look over your shoulder every once in awhile. 4. Vertical paddle shaft. Back paddling with torso twist to warm up torso 1. Plant paddle blade in at stern and push blade away from boat. 2. Look back at the paddle blade. Flatwater Drills Flatwater spins, leading with head (where your head goes, your body will follow) Flatwater cartwheels, leading with head Lean Cleans: scooping water with bow and stern, winding up with torso twist, no paddle Edge control exercises, holding your boat on edge using oblique muscles (see how long you can hold an aggressive edge) Double Pumps Downriver Moves Backdeck rolling and kick flips (air screws) 1. Keep arms within the "box" to protect shoulders 2. Build up speed 3. Take a long forward stroke about half way up the face of the wave 4. Lift bow at crest at about 11 o'clock 5. Launch your body past the crest and initiate a back deck roll over the trough of the wave 6. Roll up as you begin to climb the next wave Wave Wheels 1. Build Speed (you need to spot the wave before hand) 2. Start the double pump stroke about half way up the face of the wave 3. Initiate the bow up at 11 o'clock and "throw" bow down at 12 o'clock over the crest of the wave Stern Squirts  
1. Approach high on the eddy line, where it is well-defined 2. Have speed 3. Approach the eddy line at a 45 degree angle 4. When your bow is at 90 degrees on the eddy line, drop your upstream edge and use a hard back stroke on the opposite side 5. Make sure that as you pull your back stroke, that you are looking back towards that paddle blade - very important! 6. Keep your body forward, chin on the same shoulder as the arm you are taking the back stroke with 
Wave Moves Catching a wave from an eddy (Remember speed, angle and edge is what kayaking is all about) 1. You must have the correct amount of SPEED (which will vary, depending on the power of the current) 2. ANGLE: 45 dergrees 3. EDGE control: stay on downstream edge as you would for a ferry (you accelerate when you are on an edge) 4. Boat position: bow enters wave at the lowest part of the trough  
Setting up: 1. Carve and use the shoulders of the wave to work your way to the pile, or spin to the top (in order to spin, you must not have a lot of speed or you will spin right off of the feature) 2. Throw moves when you start to accelerate back down the face of the wave 3. Use rudders to help with edge control 4. Use breaking strokes to time acceleration down the face of the wave 5. Take strokes on the downstream side of the boat only 
Spinning 1. Lead with your head 2. Use alternating push and pull strokes 3. Keep your boat flat 4. Spin towards the pile Blunts 1. Carve from the top of the pile across the wave 2. You must have aggressive edge transfer, starting at 11 o'clock with the back stroke at your hip 3. You may bounce from edge to edge to help with edge transfer 4. Initiate your bow at 12 o'clock, with your weight over your boat 5. Use aggressive back strokes to keep yourself in a back surf If you have any questions about certain moves, please contact me and I will help.  
After the full day on the river, we headed back to Wet Planet's Base Camp near the Tieton and concluded with a wrap-up session. During the wrap-up, each girl shared one thing that they took away from the clinic. It was amazing what great things these women learned - air screws, front surfing, blunts, even just feeling better about going down river. What a great day! Thank you's go out to Christie Glissmeyer for making this clinic a huge success, to the Kayak Shed for giving the ladies the opportunity to demo the Jackson boats and to the ladies, themselves, for having great attitudes, were willing to work hard all day and are some of the coolest gals around! Hope to see you in our next P & P . . . All photos are courtesy of Kate Howell . . . thanks! Heather Herbeck Team Wet Planet Team Jackson Kayak Team Sweet Team Level Six Team KAVU
— Wet Planet Staff @ 10:33 AM
Wet Planet's "Paddle and Pamper"
"Paddle and Pamper" (P & P) is a series of clinics designed for women, by women. These clinics are led by Wet Planet Team member and Jackson Kayak Team member, Heather Herbeck. "I wanted to see a program developed, that focused on the women specifically. Women learn and progress differently than men - if pushed too hard, too fast, they will no longer associate "kayaking" with "fun". Also, with teaching women, we have to incorporate more emphasis on technique in our courses, rather than brute strength." After a bit of brainstorming, and with the help of Wet Planet Whitewater, this P & P program was developed, summer of 2006. In this write-up, I want to share with you a little bit about our August P & P session. If you were not able to attend, I still want you to be able to benefit from these courses. August Session
"The Mental Side of Kayaking" The morning started off with introductions. As each of the ladies introduced themselves, I asked that they give the group a bit about their past kayaking experience(s) and at least one goal that they wanted to accomplish that particular day. Out of the group of 8 women, we found out that one of them had never been in a kayak before - first time that day! Cindy - the first-time kayaker - was super excited to get in a boat and go for it! After introductions, we headed across the road from Wet Planet, to their private land overlooking Rattlesnake Rapid, on the Lower White Salmon. Here, we took some time to practice yoga poses, stretch and practice breathing for relaxation. After the yoga session, we sat down on our mats (okay, towels, because there were a lot of us) and openly discussed reasons why the women where here on this particular day - "Mental Training" day. From here, we loaded up gear and headed to the Klickitat River. The Klickitat is a class II with two III's, pool-drop river. I always say, "If you want to improve your kayaking, paddle easier rivers and make them harder." So, with the different ability levels, we split into groups, working on challenging the women's already existing skills. We had a few swims, but that is always expected when you are pushing your limits/abilities, which I always encourage in these clinics. I think the best way to improve, is to step out of your "comfort zone", but only is a safe environment and with people whom you trust. Here are a few things we worked on during our "river time" and some key points to remember about each: 1. EDDY TURNS - There are three main components to an eddy turn (and kayaking in general) - Angle, Speed and Edge (in that order). Angle - You need the correct angle to have control when you are entering and exiting an eddy (about 45 to 60 degrees, depending on the power of the current). Speed - You need speed while you are crossing the eddy line. If you do not have enough speed, you will end up turning right onto the eddy line, which is the most unstable area to be on. The eddy line is the line between the main current and the eddy current. With two currents going opposite directions, you do not know which way to edge, so likely you will catch your edge and flip. Aggressive speed will get you over that eddy line. Edge - You must lift the correct edge, exiting and entering eddies, so that the upstream current does not catch your boat's edge and flip you. I like to say, "Show your butt to the current!" (Remember, the current in the eddy goes upstream, the main current in the river goes downstream). "And, you can never, ever, ever, ever hold your edge too long!" Where do you pull into and out of eddies? Make sure to aim your boat into and out of eddies at the top of the eddy, where the eddy line is more well-defined. 2. FERRIES - A Ferry allows you to get from one side of the river to the other side of the river without losing too much downstream distance. Maintain a 45-60 degree angle upstream, using sweep strokes to hold the angle. Lift your upstream edge (which will help you maintain your correct angle)slightly so that you don't catch your edge and flip. 3. BRACING - You don't necessarily need to know how to roll, you just need to know how to stay upright. Having a good brace will keep you from flipping over. Low Brace - Your elbows are in line with your shoulders (scarecrow arms), which will keep your body weight over your paddle and keep you forward. Your wrists bend down to create a flat paddle blade (feather) on the surface of the water. Lift an edge (be aggressive on your edging if you are comfortable, otherwise start small) and hold it, slowly edge more and more. Once you feel yourself start to tip, smack the flat paddle blade (the front of the paddle blade) on the water, neutralize your wrists, so that the paddle blade slices back up through the water. Remember to drop the head (towards the side you are bracing on) on each brace. High Brace - I do not emphasize the high brace, due to injury potential. However, I do like to cover it so that if people use it, they use it correctly. You use the back side of the paddle blade, with elbows close to the torso and wrists bent upwards from neutral. As with the low brace, you are on edge and as soon as you brace (smack the water with the back side of the paddle blade), your head falls towards the water. Remember - DO NOT - extend your elbows past your shoulder (hyperextension). Your injury potential increases when you are out of the "paddlers box". The coolest thing I noticed from the river time that day revolved around Cindy (her first time in a kayak on the river). Yes, Cindy swam, but only because she wanted to learn. I could see the passion in her eyes, starting at the put-in all the way down to the take-out. The other 7 women, were focused on improving their skills, yet the entire way down river, they were encouraging Cindy and applauding each eddy she came in to. This is what kayaking is all about! Forget about the "scariness" of kayaking - it doesn't have to be scary. Instead, think about the beautiful scenery you get to capture, the great exercise you give your body and most of all, the bond of friendships and passions you get to experience each time you are paddling with a group - That IS what kayaking is all about! We spent about 6 hours going down a 6-7 mile stretch of the Klickitat River. We picked our way down, using each and every feature we could to make the class II rapids very challenging and technical. We got back to the Wet Planet Base about 5:00 p.m. and unloaded - we were done with the PADDLE. Now, the PAMPER part of the day begun. This particular course was different than the others, which normally include a "spa" type treatment and massage. This day, the pamper was a discussion about the "Mental Side of Kayaking". We spent the next hour and 1/2 sharing our experiences. Here is a summary of some important points we covered in the discussion: Being "In the Zone" (meaning: Feeling confident) - When do you know you are "in the zone" and should "step it up"? 1. You are RELAXED - Your body is energized, yet your mind is calm. 2. You have CONFIDENCE - DO NOT let past failures clog your mind. If you are prepared for the task at hand, confidence is trusting your instincts to be successful. 3. You are completely FOCUSED - You are "Here and Now" - not thinking about the fight you had, last night, with your boyfriend. 4. Your PADDLING is EFFORTLESS (some days it feels like this, other days it doesn't) - you have finesse and grace on the water. 5. Your MOVEMENTS are AUTOMATIC - You are on auto-pilot and just reacting to whatever comes your way. 6. You are having FUN. To continue in this sport, it has to give you something back - internally. 7. You are in CONTROL - What you think and want will happen. If you lack 2-3 of these "feelings", step away from the river or that particular rapid that day. The river/rapid will always be there! If you can recongnize all of the "feelings", GO FOR IT . . . RUN THAT RIVER AND STYLE IT! How do you develop the "feelings" of being "in the zone"? One of my greatest struggles with kayaking has been from the mental side of the sport. I consider myself, physically, very strong. Yet, mentally, I have a lot of work to continue to do. As kayakers, a lot of us purchase the best equipment and take clinics and courses from the best instructors, to work on paddling skills. Unfortunately, we neglect our mental equipment, our mental component. We accept it as just "being the way we are." Think about this: Raw skill alone is like a fine-tuned car with low-grade gas. When a situation calls for it to step up - it malfunctions. We are left wondering what happened. WE MUST WORK ON OUR MENTAL CONDITIONING AS WELL AS OUR BASIC KAYAKING SKILLS! Here is my personal routine: 1. Visualization: take a photo of yourself being successful and styling a rapid/river. Put this photo on your fridge or in your car. Or, better yet, as the screen saver on your computer. 2. Positive Self-Talk. Say positive (only positive- and I know this is hard)things to yourself. As in any relationship, the best way to get to know someone is through communicating (talking). So, the more you talk to yourself, the better you will get to know yourself. 3. Relaxation/Meditation - This trains us to be able to transfer ourselves into our "meditative/relaxed" state, when otherwise we might panic. 4. Concentration - Focus on only one drop at a time when you paddle. Don't ever think of a river as a "whole". Conquer it step-by-step. 5. Mental Routine - Find ways that your body can recognize relaxation. For example, before a big drop, I sit down and with my eyes close I visualize my line over and over. Then I open them, go through my line one more time while actually looking at the rapid and then I run it. 6. Let go of Mistakes!!! This is super huge, especially for women. As your momma always said, "You can learn from your mistakes." But, once you get your lesson, let it go, or you will dwell on it. 7. Set Goals - set your own goals because you are the one who has to achieve them. Don't let anyone convince you that you "have to" do something. Christie Glissmeyer, who co-taught the August P & P session said this, "If someone pressures you into paddling a river or drop that you don't feel you are ready for, don't give in to the pressure. You MAY have the physical skills, but your mental skills aren't quite there . . . but, soon enough your mental skills will catch up and you will be running those rivers and drops that you never thought you would." If you have any feeback or would like to add to the discussion about the mental side of kayaking, please email me at hherbeck@yahoo.com. This is a developing topic for my clinics, so any input would be appreciated. Stay tuned for the September P & P . . . Heather Herbeck Team Wet Planet Team Jackson Kayak Team Level Six Team Sweet website: liquidkayak.com
— Wet Planet Staff @ 02:24 PM
Rafting Hell's Canyon of the Snake River
Hey everyone! This is Jeff from Wet Planet, just getting back from an incredible three-day adventure down through Hell's Canyon of the Snake River. This trip was amazing! Read more about our time in the canyon by following the link below. 
Continue reading "Rafting Hell's Canyon of the Snake River"
— Wet Planet Staff @ 04:38 PM
We're running Husum Falls on the White Salmon River!
Hi Everybody, this is Jeff from Wet Planet here on the White Salmon River. After a relatively dry Spring with lots of awesome trips down the Wind, Klickitat and White Salmon rivers the water has already dropped to a great level to run Husum Falls. After sending 6 boats full of guides over the falls with only one swimmer we started shooting the falls with guests on Wednesday and it has been lots of fun.
We are putting in at B.Z. corner right now and dropping right into Top drop, Grasshopper, Corkscrew and the Water Spout. The entire run is very fun and beautiful with a spectacular climax over the waterfall. This is one of the best whitewater runs around and its only going to get better here so hopefully we see you out here soon for some incredible trips down the White Salmon and over the falls. See you on the river! Jeff To learn more about Jeff Weiss and hear what he is up to, check out www.myspace.com/mo_whitewater.
— Wet Planet Staff @ 11:52 AM
Fun kayaking and rafting in Costa Rica!
Hey everyone, this is Jeff from Wet Planet Whitewater saying hello after a long cold and snowy winter in the Cascades. It is already Spring, and the snow is starting to run down through the river valleys on its way to the Ocean. This Spring started with a bang as Wet Planet experienced a great international advernture in Costa Rica in March. I have always wanted to go to Costa Rica since I was a kid and my parents used to go (and leave me at home with my grandma). I remember some of the gatherings after my folks got back where many stories and slide shows were shown. I was real ecited when I was asked to go on the trip for some "guide training", especially after a long Winter in the mountains.
Continue reading "Fun kayaking and rafting in Costa Rica!"
— Wet Planet Staff @ 05:22 PM
Enjoying Raft Guide School with Wet Planet
Greetings from the White Salmon River! Wet Planet's guide-in-training, Sara Cohen, here to report on my Guide School experience with Wet Planet. My whitewater season in the Columbia River Gorge is off to an exciting start with Wet Planet's Washington and Oregon Raft Guide School. We have all been spending a ton of time on the water learning the fundamentals of guiding rafts, river hydrology, and sharpening our river rescue skills.  At this point, we are halfway through our four weekend long course, and, so far, we have covered quite a bit. The first weekend Wet Planet's instructors Todd Collins, Andy Round, and Liz Arnold set the foundation for skill building with an introduction to basic river hydrology. We then joined a commercial Wet Planet trip on the middle section of the White Salmon River, watching as our teachers demonstrated stellar lines through rapids like Top Drop, Grasshopper, and Corkscrew. The next morning we started the day at Northwestern Lake practicing paddle strokes, ferrying, and eddying in and out. After a lunch on the sunny banks of the Klickitat, we were given a chance to begin guiding boats ourselves on the lower section of the Klickitat River through class II and III whitewater. This splashy river training gave us a chance to become increasingly confident with our strokes in swift moving water.
This past weekend all thirteen students returned for more intense whitewater training. With the previous weekend's instructors out guiding on the Wind River, our curriculum was picked up by Wet Planet's returning guides and instructors Steve White, Christina Von Mertens, and Hootie Boucher. These veteran guides led us through a thorough day of running the lower and middle stretch of the White Salmon River, allowing the students to do most of the navigating through the challenging, technical rapids at their pushy spring-time levels. Everyone's skills had clearly taken off by the end of the afternoon as we watched the rafts maintain steady lines and eddy in and out with more and more ease. Sitting through other student's learning process can at times be the most challenging part of the course, while being equally beneficial. For instance, I learned that running Corkscrew backwards isn't ideal, but survivable!  The progress of Saturday helped push us into Sunday's syllabus which was an overview of the Swift Water River Rescue Training Course (WRT) that Wet Planet will be offering as a three-day course in June. We covered basic rope throwing skills, as well as more advanced rope rescue techniques. We then spent the rest of the afternoon applying them to rescue scenarios staged at Rattlesnake Creek and Rattlesnake Rapid on the White Salmon River, right off the Wet Planet riverside property. During these simulations, we all had a chance to swim the class III hole and wait for the shower of throw ropes to hit our helmets and pull us to safety. This swim also gave a number of the students who were still trying to overcome their uneasy feeling in whitewater an opportunity to really face up to building a more confident relationship with the river.
If the last two weekends were any indication as to how much we all will be taking from this course, I think that we can count finishing this course as well-educated first year guides with a great foundation for running whitewater rafting trips in Washington and Oregon. It has been really great to welcome the other students to Wet Planet and listen to them share their boating experiences from all over the country. They have mostly all been calling Wet Planet home these past few weekends as they camp out on the property braving these chilly early spring evenings. We are all certainly looking forward to the next two weeks for the opportunity to take our new skills out on the Wind River and Upper Klickitat, as well as master more rapids on the White Salmon. Spring-time can't be beaten in the Gorge Area, especially when you are on the river. See you out there! Sara Cohen
— Wet Planet Staff @ 08:00 PM
A Costa Rica Report from Wet Planet's Jonathan Blum
 Costa Rica Boatin'
Hey All, Wet Planet's Costa Rica liaison checking in from down South. It has been an awesome season down here with the paddling, learning a different culture, and living the dream of paddling summer year-round. The rivers of Costa Rica are beautiful, the rapids are fun, and most of all, the water is WARM! In preparation for the Wet Planet March trips to Costa Rica, I have been living in the whitewater center of Costa Rica, Turrialba, for the past four months. My recent experriences here, combined with Todd and Jaco's years of guiding in Costa Rica will play out to make an awesome adventure for all who choose to come along with us. Turrialba, where I have been based, is a close neighbor to the Pacuare River where we will be doing two of our four river days during the March Costa Rica trips. The Pacuare River tumbles out of the Talamanca Mountains with crystal clear water ina densely forested gorge. Oftentimes, we hear howler monkeys cry out as we float 2,000 feet below the mountain-tops surrounding the infamous gorge. It is a magical canyon, dwarfing even the deepest canyons in Oregon and Washington. My favorite spot on the river is the 70+ foot Huacas Falls that cascades into the river between the two largest Class IV rapids. This particular section of river has been recognized as one of the to five most beautiful commercially rafted runs in the world, and there is no question about it once you have been there for yourself! Check out photos of our previos Costa Rica trips on our Wet Planet Rafting and Kayaking Costa Rica photo gallery.  The Wet Planet Costa Rica trips are special because we can allow paddlers with appropriate skills the pleasure of kayaking some of the rivers. this allows families, kayakers, whitewater affectionados and rafters the privilege of experiencing the warm waters in whatever craft they would prefer. We're even bringing along Team Jackson's Heather Herbeck to help out with the Spani... I mean kayaking. At Wet Planet, we love to share our passion for river running with our guests, and it will be a pleasure to share it with you in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida from Turrialba, and I look forward to seeing you soon, Jonathan Blum
This season will be Jonathan's second with Wet Planet Whitewater. he will be back instructing Whitewater Kayaking and Swiftwater Rescue, along with Guiding on the White Salmon, Wind, and Klickitat Rivers. To see what he's been up to in Costa Rica for the winter season, check out his kayaking website: www.daysontheriver.com
— Wet Planet Staff @ 03:08 PM
Tieton!!!
 Hello everybody this is Jeff from Wet Planet Whitewater. Well it is after Labor day weekend and we are moving into September already. You might think that the whitewater season is finished up for the Summer but wait, there is one more river on the list this season. It is time for the fall classic. It is time for the TIETON!!!!!! WoooHoooo, all the guides get excited about this one and you should too. The annual release of the water stored up In Rimrock lake every season to irrigate the Yakima valley gives us a fantastic opportunity to play on the waters of this fun river. Their are no big drops or water falls on this run, just 15 miles of continuous rapids and big wave trains through the Ponderosa pines and unique columnar basalt formations through the Tieton river valley. Since this run is outside of Yakima Wa and on the East side of the Cascades the weather is usually fantastic. Even the water is warm due to the fact that it has been stored up behind a damn all summer long just waiting to be released.
Due to construction ongoing on the damn their is going to be a better than normal release this year. This river is very fun and should not be missed. Come out for some fantastic runs down the Tieton River! see ya on the river-Jeff To learn more about Jeff Weiss and hear what he is up to, check out www.myspace.com/mo_whitewater.
— Wet Planet Staff @ 04:14 PM
Mt. Adams and the White Salmon River
People have been asking a lot recently why it is that we have such great whitewater late in the season when most rivers are running out of water. Well, here's the answer:  The reason we have such great water all season long is that the White Salmon River is fed by glaciers and springs that come from high up on the flanks of Mt. Adams, one of the great strato-volcanoes of the world. Mt. Adams is a 12,276 ft. tall volcano that towers two miles above the valley floor. The Native Americans called Mt. Adams "Pah-to", meaning "high up". They held the mountain sacred as a symbol of continuity and a source of prosperity just like us river people. It is what gives us an incredible season here on the White Salmon.
So, there it is. Come join us for some great whitewater rafting on the White Salmon River. Jeff To learn more about Jeff Weiss and hear what he is up to, check out www.myspace.com/mo_whitewater.
— Wet Planet Staff @ 11:34 AM
We're Running the Upper Stretch!
Hi everybody this is Jeff from Wet Planet.  Well, while all the whitewater runs here in the great Pacific Northwest are quickly drying up it just keeps getting better here on the White Salmon. The level on the gauge here in Husum has dropped to 2 1/4 ft. That means it is a good flow to start putting in 2.1 miles above the normal commercial put-in at B.Z. corner. Wet Planet has our own private put- in which is the highest put-in offered on the White Salmon. If you love whitewater you should definitely come check this run out-it is incredible! This extra section is definitely wild and scenic. It includes three incredible class IV rapids including Triple drop, The Flume and Maytag. We also have one portage around the 18ft class V+ waterfall thats known as B.Z falls. This trip is worth it just by getting to check out this amazing waterfall. After the portage there is the optional cliff jump into the river to get back to the rafts.
 Now that we are running the "upper" we are taking out right after our plunge over Husum falls and walking right across the street back to our base. With the upper, middle and Husum falls in eight miles I think this is one of the best whitewater trips anywhere, especially this time of year. This trip will be offered all the way into October so if your looking for an incredible experience during these dog days of summer you should come and check out this amazing run. Hope to see you all out there for some more awesome trips down the White Salmon. See you on the river! Jeff
— Wet Planet Staff @ 01:40 PM
We're Running the Falls!
Hey Everybody!  This is Jeff from Wet Planet here on the White Salmon River. Finally, after months of anticipation and staring at the river gauge morning, noon, and night, the river has dropped to 2.75 ft. on the gauge here in Husum. That can only mean one thing! It's time to start running Husum Falls! Check out this series of photos of me and five guests running over Husum Falls yesterday.
After running the falls seven times yesterday evening with boats full of guides and having 100% success (no flips or swimmers) we took our first rafts full of guests over the falls on this morning's trip. It was AWESOME!!! If you ran the falls last year at lower water levels and loved it, you should come check it out now. The boats are going deep at the base of the falls and even disappearing for a few seconds. You might want to bring your nose plus for this one. The song "We all live in a yellow submarine" seems to come to my mind as we approach the lip of the drop. As foro the rest of the run, it is still awesome whitewater and incredible scenery. Really an experience not to be missed during these hot summer days.  There is a reason the Natives who lived here referred to this place as "where the rain meets the sun." Some days, when it is cloudy and raining on hte Westside of the mountains and in Portland, it is still sunny and warm in Husum. So we hope to see you all out here at the Wet Planet Whitewater Center for some fun runs down the White Salmon River and some awesome plunges over the Falls!
See you on the river, Jeff
— Wet Planet Staff @ 11:07 AM
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